Friday, August 2, 2013

One of the goals of Black Philanthropy Month 2013 (BPM 2013) is to increase stories of black philanthropy, and we’re grateful that TheGrio.com, a national online media website that caters to the African American community and The Charlotte Post, an African American newspaper based in Charlotte, NC, are among the print and online media outlets supporting our campaign.

According to Tracey Webb, founder of BlackGivesBack.com, BPM 2013’s media hub, “Combining the power of print, broadcast and digital media will strengthen Black philanthropy’s voice and increase its impact for new times.”

TheGrio.com has published Webb’s op-ed, “An August helping others reach for King’s dreams and mountaintops” that provides history on Black Philanthropy Month, recent trends in Black giving and how you can get involved. The article cites that BPM 2013 takes on greater importance with the approach of the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.” Click here for the full article.

The Charlotte Post is publishing a series of interviews that feature African Americans engaged in multiple facets of philanthropy. Thefirst article highlights Men Tchaas Ari, chief program officer at Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte, NC. When asked what his “dream” or aspiration is for the Black community, he shares:

“According to a 2012 Nielsen study, African Americans’ annual buying power will reach one trillion dollars in 2015. My dream is for that money to circulate in the African American community a few times. This would stimulate the economy in our community and improve its infrastructure.

My ultimate goal would be for African Americans to collectively invest a mere 1 percent of that (i.e. $10B) annually. From this collective pool we would be able to address many of the ills in our community and, ultimately, the ills of the world at large.”